Military technology

For years, we’ve been sharing videos and images showing the destructive power of the United State Navy’s electromagnetic railgun. But we might soon be seeing the last of those horrifying GIFs. Read More >>

The US Air Force’s scientific research wing is giving Lockheed Martin $26.3 million “for the design, development, and production of a high power fibre laser,” which it expects to start testing on a tactical fighter jet in four years. Sounds cool and certainly futuristic, but the jury’s still out on whether these weapons have any real tactical value. Read More >>

As we head deeper into the 21st century, the prospect of getting robots to do the dirty business of killing gets closer with each passing day. In Max Tegmark’s new book, Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, the MIT physicist and founder of the Future of Life Institute contemplates this seemingly sci-fi possibility, weighing the potential benefits of autonomous machines in warfare with the tremendous risks. The ultimate challenge, he says, will be convincing world powers to pass on this game-changing technology. Read More >>

Just in time for America's Fourth of July celebrations, North Korea says it has successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The country voted most likely to start WWIII says it can now strike targets anywhere in the world, but military experts believe the missile, which flew for 40 minutes, is a medium range weapon that presents no threat to the United States. Read More >>

A former Pentagon official is warning that autonomous weapons would likely be uncontrollable in real-world situations thanks to design failures, hacking, and external manipulation. The answer, he says, is to always keep humans “in the loop.” Read More >>

The above Terminator-like weapon is Colt's latest, greatest invention. Developed with Defence Research and Development Canada, (Canada's version of DARPA) this is the smart gun Canada wants to fight the wars of the future. And it's hard to look at this insane level of firearm innovation and not think about the birth of the Colt .45.Read More >>